Asbestos problem grows after three more park detections

Three Melbourne reserves are the latest park locations where asbestos has been detected after the toxic material was found in two other parks.

The reserves in Altona North in Melbourne's southwest were closed on Friday evening after testing confirmed the presence of asbestos-containing material.

Sections of Crofts, Hosken and Lynch reserves have since been fenced off.

"Council will work with a material hygienist and the Environment Protection Authority Victoria to conduct remediation works on all these sites," the council said in a statement.

An EPA spokeswoman said the agency is aware of asbestos-containing material identified at the reserves and is working with the council as investigations continue.

"While EPA understands only very small amounts of material were located, all suspected asbestos contamination must be taken seriously," she said.

The discoveries come as asbestos-contaminated soil was detected at a park at a different Hosken Reserve in Coburg North as the park underwent upgrades. 

A Merri-bek City Council spokeswoman confirmed on Friday asbestos was first found at the site in late January.

There was no evidence to suggest this incident was related to other asbestos cases.

The issue kicked off on Monday after a father found fragments of asbestos mixed with mulch and other building materials at the Donald McLean Reserve in Spotswood, also in the Hobsons Bay council area.

The EPA tested mulch products from the producer who supplied the material at the Spotswood reserve and did not find any asbestos, deeming the source was the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste.

Testing was triggered after fragments of bonded asbestos were detected in Sydney's Rozelle Parklands in January followed by positive detections in Queensland.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store